Family Ties
by Claire-Grady143
Summary: Follow along with Claire, Owen, Maisie and baby Charlie through a series of one shots. Sequel to my story Beautiful Disaster, but you don't need to know the story to follow along.
1. Chapter 1: Buy Buy Baby Fat

**Buy Buy Baby Fat**

 _ **Thank you to those who supported Beautiful Disaster! I do want to address one reviewer who couldn't even identify themself. Let's remember I am 33 years old and birthed 2 kids. I think I know what I'm talking about. Also, I have NEVER taken nor "borrowed" from anyone else's stories. I write for fun and in no way am I perfect. I'm human I make mistakes. I would like to know which planet you are from where you think you are so perfect that you feel the need to degrade someone the way you did.**_

 _ **With that said, thank you to the rest of you for enjoying my stories just as much as I enjoy writing them. Please continue to review and if you have any ideas for this little series feel free to share!**_

"I'm home!" Maisie called out as she walked through the front door. Tossing her backpack to the side, she hurried towards the wobbly baby.  
Charlie pulled himself up, using the coffee table to balance himself. With a loud screech, he reached for his sister and took an unsteady step away from the table and towards Maisie.  
"Hey, kiddo!" Owen called out from the kitchen. "How was school?"  
Ignoring Owen, she dropped to her knees to catch her brother in her arms. The boys green eyes gleamed at his sister. He gripped her face and placed a sloppy kiss on her cheek. "Ew, Charlie!" Maisie giggled and put him back on the floor with his toys.  
"Where's Mom?" She asked as she looked around the living room.

Owen rolled his eyes and walked around Maisie to grab her backpack. "Running around out there somewhere."  
Owen's answer to her question had her shaking her head. "I hope I never have kids. She is obsessed with exercising!" She huffed and sat at the table while Owen placed her agenda in front of her to start her homework.  
"Apparently she has five more pounds to lose before Charlie's birthday in two weeks. She's determined to lose all the baby weight by his first birthday." Owen reached out and tugged her ponytail. "Just let her be. Five more pounds... just have to get through five more." He mumbled more to himself than to Maisie.  
"Dadada!" Charlie blabbed, crawling across the kitchen floor towards his father.  
Owen turned immediately and smiled down at his son, now gripping his pant leg to pull himself up. "Hey, Bud." He greeted Charlie and took him into his arms. "What do you say we go do some manly things while we wait for your mother to get back." He turned to look at Maisie, "be outside. Let me know if you need help."  
She nodded and went back to her homework.  
"Ok, big guy." Owen placed Charlie on the grass and popped the hood of Claire's car. "Today's lesson is changing the oil in Mom's car." He glanced down at where he sat Charlie down and found him crawling towards where Claire appeared back in the yard.  
"Mama!" He giggled as she continued to run towards him.  
"What are you guys doing?" She panted, trying to catch her breath.  
"Well, I'm trying to teach him how to change the oil in your car, but you're distracting him."  
Claire raised an eyebrow. "He's not even one, Owen."  
"Never too early to learn." Owen disagreed.  
"Maisie home yet?" Claire asked and placed Charlie back on the ground.  
Owen nodded, "Already doing homework."  
"Good, I'm going to shower." She said and bent over to tassel Charlie's dark hair. "Then it's nap time for you."  
By the time Claire was out of the shower, Maisie had claimed Charlie and was crawling around the yard with him. He squealed when he saw his mother walking down the front steps.  
"Ok, Big Guy, time for a nap." Claire said as she scooped him up into her arms. She kissed his cheek and like with Maisie earlier, Claire received a drool-filled kiss. She turned to look at Maisie, "your homework finished?"  
Maisie stood up and nodded. "Just have to check my math homework and can you help me study for my spelling test?"  
Claire nodded, "I'll meet you at the table."  
Maisie and Claire sat at the table while Owen worked on getting the steaks ready for the grill. Claire nibbled her bottom lip as she watched him place the meat on a platter to take outside. Owen caught her look and groaned. "You're not eating this, are you."  
"I'll just have a salad." She said through clenched teeth.  
Owen rolled his eyes. "But I'm making it the way you like it!"  
Claire's eye twitched and her stomach growled. "No thanks."  
"Claire it's—"  
She raised her hand to cut him off "When you give birth to a seven pound baby, but gain twenty pounds within nine months, you can have a say on how it's only a little weight!"  
"Ok, ok... I'll be outside." Owen hurried out the back door and shut it, leaving Claire and Maisie alone.  
"I think you look like you always have." Maisie said quietly. Her eyes locked on the index card Claire was gripping in her hands.  
Claire nodded. "I know, but it's just a few more pounds and I'll be back to what I was."  
Maisie decided to let it go and finished spelling her last word.  
After dinner the family of four were seated in the living room. Claire and Owen watching TV while Maisie sat at their feet playing patty-cake with Charlie.  
"Can we have desert?" Maisie asked Owen.  
They both glanced at Claire. "What?" She snapped.  
"You want anything? Bowl of ice maybe? Some celery on the side?" Owen jumped off the couch dodging the pillow Claire chucked at him.  
"I'll get the bowls!" Maisie yelled and hurried out of Claire's line of sight.  
"I'm going to get you some ice cream." Owen told her.  
"Owen.. I don't—"  
"One bowl isn't going to make you gain all that weight back."  
Claire folded her arms against her chest. "All that weight?"  
Owen scratch the back of his neck. "I meant the baby weight. Not that you need to lose any more. You're back in your old clothes, right?"  
"Owen?"  
"Yeah?" Owen's voice shook.  
"How deep do you want to dig your hole?"  
"Hole!" Charlie clapped his hands.  
Claire looked down at her son and smiled before letting her eyes fall back on her husband. "Even he gets it."  
Owen bent down and picked up Charlie. "You're supposed to be on my side, remember?" He mumbled and turned to bring him into the kitchen.  
Charlie bounced in his fathers arms when he saw the ice cream Maisie had grabbed.  
"Here," Owen handed Charlie to Maisie. "Occupy him for a minute while I get the ice cream. Whatever you do keep him away from the living room."

Maisie giggled, "He's a mama's boy, he can't help it."  
"Exactly why they need to be separated. It's bad enough I have the two of you constantly gaining up on me. I don't need him to start."

Rolling her eyes, Maisie bounced Charlie on her hip as she told Owen what toppings she wanted on her ice cream.

Deciding to stay on her good side, Owen filled a bowl with yogurt and strawberries for Claire. He was proud of how hard she was working.

"Here you go," Owen said as he placed Claire's bowl on her lap.

She narrowed her eyes at him, but followed his motion and looked down to the bowl on her lap. She glanced up quickly and smiled. "Thank you."

The day before Charlie's birthday, Claire rushed out of the master bathroom and leaped onto the bed where Owen was still sleeping. "I did it!" She shrieked and bounced around on her knees.

"Did what?" Owen groaned, still asleep.

"I'm down to my pre-pregnancy weight!"

Owen sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He forced a smile though he was still trying to wake up. "Awesome, Babe. I'm proud of you."

"We're going to out dinner to celebrate! I want a burger."

Owen chuckled and pulled her down to lay beside him. "Anything you want."

Charlie fussed from his crib and Claire jumped off the bed. "I'll get him."

Owen got up and stretched. "I'll make the coffee."

Owen choked on his coffee when Claire walked into the kitchen. She wore a dark blue pencil shirt, matching heels and a white blouse. Charlie balanced happily on her hip. "You look beautiful." he choked out.

"I feel like me again! Those last few pounds were a killer." He leaned forward and kissed her before taking Charlie from her arms.

"Hey!" Claire reached for Maisie as she dragged her feet into the kitchen.

Maisie looked up at her with wide-eyes. "Hi?" She hesitated.

"How about I pick you up after school and we spoil ourselves at the spa."

"Oh!" Maisie's eyes lit up. "That sounds perfect."

"The spa?" Owen questioned. "Sounds boring."

"Mani, pedi and a facial does not sound boring!" Maisie argued. Once Claire brought Maisie to the spa for the first time, she was hooked.

Owen nodded, deciding not to say anything more. Maisie hurried off to get ready for school and Owen sat Charlie in his highchair. Claire stepped up behind him and moved her hands around his side. Slipping under his shirt she traced the planes of his abs with her fingers. "Thank you," she said softly and kissed his back.

He turned slowly, shivering at the way her fingers tickled his skin as he moved. "For what?" He asked, bringing his arms up to wrap around her waist.

"Listening to my constant complaining."

He smiled and pecked her lips. "You're one determined woman. That's what I love most about you. You're one hot Mama."

Claire rolled her eyes and stretched up on her toes to kiss him. "After the kids go to bed you better save room for dessert."

Owen moaned and brought his lips to her neck. "I always have room for dessert."

Charlie's bowl clattering to the floor made them both jump. "Hey!" Owen pointed his finger at his son while Claire knelt down to pick up the cheerios on the floor. "What did I tell you about interrupting us."

Charlie giggled and clapped his hands.

"You're lucky you're so damn cute!" He poked Charlie's cheek and he giggled again.

Maisie appeared back in the kitchen and joined Claire and Owen at the table. Both their eyes were locked on Claire. "What?" She asked with her mouth full.

"No bowl of fruit for breakfast?" Maisie wondered.

Claire shook her head and took another bite of her muffin. "No more dieting. I'm back to my normal weight."

"Oh, thank goodness!" Maisie sighed and poured her cereal into her bowl.

This had Owen laughing and Claire couldn't help but join in. Nothing was going to ruin her mood today.


	2. Chapter 2: Charlie's Birthday

**Charlie's First Birthday**

Claire was the first one to wake up. She slowly slipped out from under Owen's arm, stifling a laugh at the way it slumped down on the mattress, not even making him stir in his sleep. She walked quietly into Charlie's room and smiled when his green eyes peered up at her.

He smiled back and scrambled to his feet to reach for his mother to take him out of his crib. "Good morning, Charlie." She said as she took him into her arms and kissed both his cheeks. "Happy Birthday."

Charlie bounced in her arms and Claire couldn't help but laugh. "So how do you like your life so far?" She asked as she carried him into the kitchen. She tickled his belly, making him laugh. "That's what I thought." She chuckled.

Claire flipped on the radio and spun Charlie around on her way to the coffee maker to start the coffee for her and Owen. Charlie laughed and clapped his hands. He bobbed his head and bounced in her arms to the music as she continued to dance around the kitchen. With one final shake of her hips and spin towards the entryway she gasped, seeing Owen leaning against the wall with his arms crossed against his chest. "Keep going," he swayed off beat to the music as he crossed the room towards his wife and son. He wrapped his arms around both of them, "I like catching you in these moments."

Claire's red cheeks gave away her embarrassment. "We were just having a little pre party."

"What time is everyone coming over today?" Owen asked and took Charlie into his arms. "Happy Birthday, Big Guy!"

"I told them three. Charlie should be up from his nap by then." She poured Charlie some cereal as Owen placed him in his highchair. "Hopefully the weather holds out." She added and reached for her phone to check the weather.

"Still say rain?" Owen wondered. He finished cutting up a banana and placed it on Charlie's tray.

Claire nibbled on her lip, "Forty percent."

Owen shrugged it off. "That isn't bad. It'll be fine."

"I think we should set up in here just to be safe."

Owen rolled his eyes. "Come on, Claire, live on the dark side."

She narrowed her eyes at him and shook her head. "I like to be prepared. It's his first birthday. I want it to be perfect."

"Cuz he'll remember it." Owen snorted. He ducked out of the way when Claire chucked Charlie's plastic spoon at him.

"I'll remember it!"

"Remember what?" Maisie yawned and dragged her feet towards the table.

"Mom thinks we should just have the party inside even though it's not going to rain."

"Forty percent!" Claire yelled.

"That means sixty perfect no rain." Maisie rubbed her eyes and sat down beside Owen at the table.

"That's what I'm saying! Two against one. We win!" Owen held his hand up and Maisie slapped hers against it.

Claire shook her head and motioned towards Charlie. "There's four of us now. Why don't we ask the birthday boy?"

"Fine." Owen smiled and leaned down so he was eye level with Charlie. "Ok, Bud, if you want to party outside give me a high five!" Charlie immediately slapped his palm against Owen's. "There it is, Babe. Three against one."

"No, no, no! You cheated. You didn't even give him the other option."

Owen shrugged. "I didn't have too. He made his decision."

"Ok, fine, but if we get rained on it's your fault." Claire said as she walked out of the kitchen to shower and get ready for the day.

"It won't!" He called after her.

She rolled her eyes and continued towards their bedroom.

It was forty-five minutes before their friends and family were due to arrive. Claire checked the time on her watch for the third time in five minutes. "Come on, Owen." She mumbled as she wondered the back yard and rechecked the snack table to make sure everything was exactly where it was supposed to be. Owen and Maisie were due back any minute with the cake and balloons.

She unclipped the monitor from her jeans and listened for any sound letting her know if Charlie was up from his nap. With it silent on his end, she sighed and clipped the monitor back on her belt loop and looked up at the darkening sky. The car pulling into the driveway automatically had her walking around to the front of the house. "Oh, it's just you." Claire groaned.

Zia raised an eyebrow and walked slowly towards her. "Nice to see you, too…"

Claire was quick to hug her. "No, I'm sorry. I thought you were Owen. He should have been back by now."

"I saw his truck parked in front of the bakery on my way through town."

"What?" Claire shrieked and reached for her phone in her back pocket at the same time Charlie started babbling through the monitor on her hip. "Perfect timing, Son." She huffed.

Zia grabbed the monitor from Claire's belt loop and turned towards the front steps. "I'll get him!" She offered.

"Thanks, Zia!" She called after her just as she hit the call button under Owen's name. "Nothing's wrong." Owen said quickly into the phone.

"Why are you still at the bakery?"

Owen wiped his mouth clean and reached for the water bottle on the table between himself and Maisie.

Claire picked up on the background noise and narrowed her eyes. "I knew I shouldn't have send you two there! You're eating!"

Knowing he is caught he sighed and took another bite of his strawberry filled pastry before he answered his wife. "Well that was your mistake. Want us to bring you back anything?"

"Yeah, the damn cake!" Claire yelled into the phone.

"Ok, ok, don't have a cow. It's just a snack. Maisie got hungry."

Claire rolled her eyes and reached up to pinch the bridge of her nose. "Did you get the balloons at least?"

"The what?"

Claire's eyes widened at the panic in his voice. "You haven't even picked them up yet?" her voice was so high that it burned her throat.

"Will you relax, I'm kidding. There's floating around in the truck as we speak."

Her shoulder's relaxed and she shook her head, unable to hold back her smile. "You're lucky, Mr. Grady. Now please bring me your son's birthday cake."

"Be home in a few minutes." He said quickly and hung up the phone. With a heavy sigh his eyes met Maisie's as she took the last bite of her cupcake. "You got me in trouble, kid."

Maisie raised and eyebrow and smirked as she reached for the water bottle. "You could have said no."

Owen stood up and cleaned up their mess. "They looked good. I couldn't tell you no." He winked at her and continued back to the counter to collect the cake. He opened the top and found exactly what Claire wanted. It was the perfect dinosaur cake to go with the theme of the party. Owen closed the top and looked down at Maisie. "Let's go."

By the time they made it back, Claire was standing by the snack table with Charlie on her hip, happily eating a cheese doodle. Karen stood with her as they laughed at the boy's orange cheeks.

Owen hurried into the house to put the cake away and snuck out the back door to find Gray and Zach talking to Franklin. He scanned the yard and spotted Zia and Ronni talking. He spun around and since Claire's back was towards them he gripped Maisie's shoulders. "Blend in. She'll never realize we just made it back."

"Dadada!" Charlie shrieked and pointed over his mother's shoulder.

"Busted." Maisie laughed and hurried towards Claire and Karen.

Claire smiled down at Maisie and shook her head. "Bout time you guys made it back."

"Hey, Maisie!" Annie waved as she hurried across the back yard.

With a quick wave, Maisie turned back towards her mom and reached for Charlie. "Can I take him to go play?"

Claire cleaned off his face and hands and handed him to Maisie. "Let me know when he starts getting fussy." Wish a final wave from Charlie, Karen and Claire were alone.

"She's good with him." Karen smiled as she watched Maisie and her friend settle in the grass to play.

"I don't know what I'd do without her." Claire sighed and reached up to scratch the back of her head.

Karen smiled and patted her sister's shoulder. "You're doing great, with both of them."

"Hey!" Owen casually walked up to them, a beer already in his hands.

"Nice of you to show up." Claire rolled her eyes. She looked around and met his eyes again "Balloons?"

He nodded towards the front of the house. "In the truck. Where do you want them."

"Keep an eye on the kids. We'll get them." Claire said and reached for her sister's hand.

By the time the balloons were tied around the party area and Maisie had taken one to play with Charlie, the sky was even darker than before. Claire looked up and stared at the clouds above their heads.

Owen's arms slipped around her waist, hugging her so her back was against his chest. "It's not going to rain." He pointed to the one small spot where the sun was trying to shine through.

She turned in his arms so he could see her eyes narrow. "Better be right." She kissed him quickly and turned to find Maisie and Charlie.

The party moved along smoothly. With Charlie sitting on Maisie's lap at one of the outside tables, Claire and Owen slowly walked out of the house with the cake and lit candle. Owen's hands on Claire's hips guided her forward so she could concentrate on the lit candle.

Once the cake was in front of Charlie, Claire reached for the camcorder and Owen started singing, the group of friends and family quickly joining him.

"Blow out the candle, Charlie!" Maisie instructed, but he was more interested in reaching to the blue and green icing.

"Go ahead, Mais." Claire nodded and Maisie blew the candle out for him.

She handed Owen the camcorder and cut Charlie a slice of his very first cake. With his green eyes wide, he leaned towards the plate and his hands immediately dig unto the colored icing. "You eat it! Don't play in it." Maisie giggled.

"Here," Claire said softly and swiped her finger in the icing and brought it to Charlie's lips. He sucked the icing off her finger and hummed at the sugary taste. His eyes dropped to his own hands and shoved them in his mouth.

While Charlie made a mess of his cake and Owen was busy documenting the entire moment, Claire cut the rest of the cake and handed everyone a piece. It wasn't until everyone was almost finished with their cake and Claire cleaned up Charlie, did she feel the first raindrop on her arm. She looked up at the ominous sky and groaned. "Oh, great."

Maisie's eyes went wide. With Charlie still on her lap, she followed Claire's gaze to the sky. "I felt it, too."

"It's starting to rain!" Franklin called out.

"No it's not!" Owen said quickly.

Karen, Zia, Amanda and Ronni had immediately started bringing Charlie's presents inside.

By the time Claire's eyes met Owen's the sky opened up and it began to downpour on their heads. While guests rushed to help each other bring stuff inside, Claire walked slowly towards Owen. His eyes locked on hers as she approached him. "What's it doing right now, Owen?"

He shrugged and folded his arms against his chest as he looked around. "What? Where?" She raised her palms to the sky and shook her head hard enough so her rain soaked hair sprayed him. He reached for her white blouse that was now soaked to her body. "This is worth remembering."

"I hate being stuck in the rain!" Maisie complained as her and Annie ran across the yard. Charlie tucked in Maisie's arms as she tried to shield her brother from the rain.

Owen smiled at her and reached for his son who seemed to be enjoying the rain. "Well, the last time wasn't so fun, but…" he trailed off as he leaned in to kiss his wife. Leaning away from her she smiled when she caught the playful gleam in his eyes. "Girls, there's only one predator left in the area and I just tagged her as being it." He backed slowly away from Claire and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Run!" Annie yelled and grabbed Maisie's hand. They both giggled as they ran through the rain.

Claire looked down at her feet and shook her head. "No way, Owen! I'm in heels!"

Still backing away from her, he glanced down at his son quickly and shrugged. "That didn't stop you before!" He called back.

Glancing quickly at her feet again, she nibbled on her bottom lip. "Oh, fine," She grumbled and kicked her shoes off before taking a step towards Owen. He picked up his pace and shifted Charlie to his hip before slowly jogging away from her. Charlie shrieked and laughed from the pit of his belly as he gripped Owen's shirt.

Party guests slowly emerged back out when they realized the family of four decided not to let the rain ruin the party. Karen turned the camcorder back on and laughed as she watched her sister chase after Maisie.

Zach and Gray quickly rushed by their mother to join in. Soon everyone running around had copied Claire and lost their soaked shoes. Bare feet slopped through the wet grass as Claire continued to change her path, trying to reach for the closest person.

Maisie shrieked when Claire's hand just brushed her back. She turned quickly to try and get away, but her feet slipped out from under her and she landed on her side. "Maisie!" Claire screamed, not able to stop and slipped as she tried to slow down. She landed on her back beside her daughter. Both of them in a fit of laughter as Owen hurried over to them.

"You guys ok?" He chuckled, unable to hide the amusement in his voice.

"Fine," Claire panted and reached her hand up so he could help her to her feet. He grabbed her hand and helped her up. She was quick to peck his lips and touch Charlie's back. "You guys are it!"

She spun and hooked her arms under Maisie's and helped her to her feet. They started running before Owen could register what just happened. He looked down at Charlie and shook his head. "She's a tricky one, that mother of yours."

Claire and Owen continued running around with the kids until Gray stumbled upon a football and Claire took Charlie as tag turned into a game of football.

Karen reached for Charlie as Claire made it to the back door. "I'll get him changed and dried off. I'm sure you want to get out of those cloths."

Claire nodded. "Thanks." She tiptoed into the kitchen and grabbed a kitchen towel to dry her feet before walking through the house. Once she was changed, she grabbed a bunch of towels from the bathroom and put them by the back door so the others could dry off before they came inside.

It was another half hour before the football game was cut short by the rumbles of thunder. Claire stood at the back door and one by one she handed each of them a towel. Once everyone was dry, they spread out in the living room so Charlie could open his presents.

Claire sat cross-legged on the floor with Charlie on her lap. He ripped at the paper, and quickly became more interested in the wrapping paper than what was actually inside the gift.

Guests slowly left and soon the family of four was settled in the living room for the remainder of the evening. Charlie had fallen asleep in Claire's arms and she sat, smiling down at her son, not quite ready to let him go to bed. "What a year, huh?" Owen asked. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and she cuddled into his side with their sleeping son.

"I think it's been the best one yet." She sighed, her eyes still locked on the sleeping face.

Owen nodded and reached out to trace his finger across Charlie's forehead. "I agree." He sighed and kissed Claire's temple.

Claire looked to her other side where Maisie was curled up on the other side of the couch. "How about you?" She reached for Maisie and she yawned as she curled into Claire's side.

"I agree, too." She whispered and let her eyes shut as Claire rubbed her arm.

Maisie's breathing soon evened out and Claire knew she had fallen asleep. "Want to get them to bed?" Owen wondered.

Claire shook her head. "This is the last time they'll be like this. Before we know it another year will pass and I won't be able to hold them like this for much longer." She looked down at Charlie cradled in her left arm and glanced over to her right side where Maisie was curled up, her head on Claire's chest.

"Then we stay here a little longer." Owen settled back and let Claire lean her left side against him, his arm went back to her shoulder and she rested her head on his chest, slowly letting her own eyes droop shut. It was Owen's turn to not be ready to let the moment end.


	3. Chapter 3: Becoming a Woman

_**This chapter was a request. For those of you who are a bit sensitive to puberty talk. This chapter may not be for you. The chapter takes place three years after Charlie is born. 12 year old Maisie becomes a woman! Don't worry I didn't go into the gross details. Happy Reading!**_

 **Becoming a Woman**

The moment girls become a woman is an iconic part of growing up. Like most girls it took Maisie by surprise.

Claire noticed the signs for the past few weeks. The first sign was the morning Maisie snapped at Owen over handing her the wrong cereal for breakfast.

"What are you doing?!" She shrieked, catching both Claire and Owen's attention.  
Claire's arm froze, half stretched towards Charlie. The three year old desperately trying to reach for his sippy cup in Claire's hand.

Owen stared, eyes gaping at Maisie. His body stayed frozen in place as his eyes slowly moved to Claire.  
Claire shrugged and Owen glanced back at Maisie. "Did I miss something? You've asked for this all week."  
"Ugh! You don't get it!" Maisie shoved away from her chair and stomped her feet towards the cupboard.  
"Sorry?" Owen raised an eyebrow as he watched the twelve year old shove around boxes of cereal before picking one. He stood straight, still clutching the Lucky Charms in his hands as he watched her.  
"Does no one listen to me in this house? Where's the Cocoa Puffs?" She turned to glare at both her parents. Her arms folded against her chest with a huff.  
Claire and Owen's eyes met once more. They exchanged a look before Owen took a deep breath and looked at Maisie. "Want to try that one again?"  
Claire paid close attention to the way Owen's fingers tightened around the cereal box. She looked from Owen to Maisie waiting for her to restate her problem.  
"No I don't." She snapped and slammed the cupboard shut before storming out of the kitchen.  
"Hey!" Owen called after her.  
"Owen." Claire sighed.  
His head whipped in her direction. "Did you just hear her?"  
Claire nodded. "Yes. Let her cool down."  
She had convinced him to let her be, and it was a few days later when the next hormonal episode erupted.  
"Mais, I said an hour on the phone. I let it go over fifteen minutes." Owen informed her. She was laying on her bed and rolled onto her side so he could see her roll her eyes.  
"Really?" He growled.  
"I'll get off in a minute."  
He walked over to her bed and grabbed the phone from her hand. "Sorry, Annie, she'll talk to you at school on Monday." He said and hung up.

"Monday?" She gasped. "It's Friday."

Owen nodded and put his phone she was using in his back pocket. "I strictly said you had an hour on the phone. I was nice and let you girls talk a few minutes over and you still have the nerve to tell me you'll be off in a minute."

"This isn't fair!" Maisie grabbed her pillow to hide her face just as she burst into tears.

Owen took an unsteady step back. Maisie was not one to cry. He started to walk towards her, but he heard the front door open and decided to tag Claire it. He hurried into the living room as Claire was taking Charlie's shoes off. "Hi, I need you." Owen spoke with his eyes wide, immediately catching Claire's attention.

"What's wrong?" She instinctively took Charlie into her arms and looked around the living room for anything to be out of place.

"Maisie."

Claire glanced down the hall to where her room was and let her eyes fall back on Owen. "What now?" She asked and realizing there was no threat, she put Charlie back on his feet so he could go play.

Owen quickly explained the situation and Claire sighed. "You do realize what's going on, right?"

He furrowed his eyebrows and shook his head.

"Hormones, Owen."

"Uck!" Owen gasped and jumped away from Claire. "Really?"

Claire nodded, trying not to laugh at his reaction. "I was the same age. It's bound to happen."

"I'm not going to survive this."

Claire chuckled and leaned in to kiss him. "Says the man who raised four raptors."

"I'd gladly take on four female raptors than one twelve year old human girl."

She patted his chest lightly. "This is just the beginning. I'll go talk to her."

Owen let out a heavy sigh. "Thank you," he said and hurried off to find Charlie.

Claire knocked lightly on Maisie's door and when she didn't answer, she knocked once more. "Maisie it's me."

Maisie mumbled a low "Come in," and Claire opened the door.

"Can we talk?" Claire asked as she sat on the edge of Maisie's bed.

Maisie shrugged. "I guess."

Claire took a deep breath and began the inevitable talk between mother and daughter. The one that would leave Maisie completely disgusted with Claire and Owen for finally understanding how Charlie came to be. This made Maisie regret even asking why girls needed to have their period in the first place.

"Do I have to get it? What if I don't want it?" She asked Claire.

With a soft chuckle, Claire nodded. "I'm afraid you don't have a choice." Maisie huffed and leaned her back against her headboard.

"Any more questions?" Claire wondered.

Maisie was silent for a moment and Claire sat patiently. "No." Maisie finally answered. "I just want to be alone."

Claire rose from the bed and patted Maisie's knee. "Let me know if you think of anything." Maisie didn't look up or respond to her mother. Deciding not to press any further, Claire left her alone.

A few days went by and Claire was sitting on the living room floor, propped up against Owen's legs. He was on the couch, focused on the football game on TV. Charlie, busy running back and forth to his toy box, bringing Claire blocks to keep building their tower higher.

Maisie slowly entered the living room, her eyes wary as she stared at Claire. "I think there's something wrong." She whispered.

"What's wrong?" Owen jumped off the couch, leaping over Claire to inspect Maisie.

"I…" she trailed off and met Claire's eyes as she stepped beside Owen. "I—I need mom."

Claire took a deep breath and nodded. Reaching for Maisie's hand she took her to her room and shut the door behind them. "Anything you say to me right now, I can guarantee I have been through the same thing."

Maisie's shoulder's relaxed and she took out the evidence from the hamper.

"Oh!" Claire jumped up and hugged Maisie. Not sure why she felt so proud at this moment, it was a milestone Maisie had no control over, but the motherly instinct in Claire took over. "That's not a bad thing, Mais."

"Is that it? What you were telling me about the other day?" She asked as Claire led her to the master bathroom.

"You're officially a woman." Claire smiled and pulled out the box of pads she picked up a few weeks before. She was on the phone with Karen and she had suggested that Claire be prepared. Right now she was silently thanking her sister.

"I'm not even a teenager yet!" Maisie complained. She looked wide-eyed at the box in Claire's hands.

With a chuckle, Claire was quick to inform her that she was very much still a child, but that it was just a part of growing up.

"My stomach hurts." Maisie groaned and leaned against the counter.

Claire wrinkled her nose and nodded. "That'll happen."

She explained the use of the pads and stepped out of the bathroom so Maisie could have some privacy. Sitting on her bed, she stared at the closed door, trying to take it all in. "She ok?" Owen whispered from the bedroom door.

Claire turned to face him and nodded. "It happened."

Owen dragged his palm down his face and groaned. "What am I supposed to say to her?" He hissed. His eyes stayed locked on their bathroom door.

Crossing the room, Claire shoved against his chest. "Just go back in the living room. There's nothing you need to say to her. Act like nothing happened."

Maisie opened the bathroom door and Owen ran down the hall before she noticed he was there. "You ok?" Claire asked.

She shifted uncomfortably and shook her head. "This sucks."

Claire couldn't help but laugh. "Yes, it definitely sucks, but luckily it'll only last a few days. Then it'll go away."

"Oh," Maisie let out a sigh of relief. "That's it?"

"Well until your next cycle."

Maisie groaned. "This sucks." She repeated.

"We all go through it."

"What about boys?" Maisie wondered.

Claire raised an eyebrow, pursed her lips and winked at Maisie. "Men couldn't handle what we go through. They're too weak."

This made Maisie laugh and she nodded in agreement. "So…" She trailed off as she shrugged. "What do I do now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Can I play with Charlie or—"

"Oh," Claire was quick to cut her off. "You can do whatever you want. Of course you can go play with Charlie."

She followed Maisie back out into the living room and Owen kept his eyes on the TV while Maisie slowly sat on the floor by Charlie's block tower. Claire watched her for a moment and reached over the back of the couch to run her fingers through Owen's hair. "I'm going to start dinner."

Owen's eyes went wide and he glanced quickly at Claire. "Need help?"

She pressed his shoulders down so he stayed on the couch. "No. Keep an eye on Charlie." She said and quickly went into the kitchen.

Owen watched Maisie out of the corner of his eye. Every few minutes after Charlie was distracted by placing another block on the tower, she wrapped her arm around her abdomen and groaned. He knew exactly what her problem was and opened his mouth to call for Claire, but snapped it shut. Instead of asking for help, he silently got up and went to the linen closet in the master bathroom. He found Claire's heading pad and smiled, knowing this helped Claire sometimes when her cramps were really bothering her.

He hurried back in the living room to find Maisie curled up on the couch and Charlie desperately trying to hand her a block to help him. "I'll help you, Bud." Owen said and took the block from his hand.

Maisie watched him plug in the heating pad and knelt down in front of the couch. "Put this on your stomach. It'll help a little. Do you need anything?" He spoke softly.

She smiled at her father and shook her head. "I'm ok, thanks, Dad."

Claire stood in the doorway, tears in her eyes as she quietly watched the scene in front of her. She backed into the kitchen and cleared her throat. "Hey, Owen!" She called out.

He handed Charlie the block he was holding. "Be right back." He told his son and hurried into the kitchen. Before Owen could ask what she needed, her lips devoured his in a kiss that knocked him backwards. With his back pressed against the fridge, he broke the kiss, both of them panting for air. "What was that for?"

Claire pecked his lips once more before answering him. "Because you really are an amazing man. I saw what you did for her. That's exactly right."

He smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I've seen you do it, so I figured it would help her."

"Fatherhood suites you well." Claire leaned in to kiss him again.


End file.
